422race interview with Fabrizia Pons

PONS TO 422race.com: "VATANEN WOULD BE THE IDEAL PRESIDENT"

Fabrizia Pons, born in 1955, has been one of the best co-drivers in world rallying. Beside taking part to several editions of the historical Paris-Dakar, she was co-driver to Michele Mouton (second in the World Champion in 1982) and to the former Champion Ari Vatanen in 1994. Vatanen is now one of the candidates to replace Max Mosley as FIA president. 422race.com interviewed Fabrizia, focussing on Vatanen in the present and in the past.

On Vatanen: "Ari is a great man, a firm and calm person, with values and principles, a gentleman. To discuss with him is always a pleasure: you can go from bikes to cars, from airplanes to religion. He is a person with a vast culture and extremely interesting, but above all he can speak to the heart of people. I am a great admirer of him both as a man and as a driver, for me to race with him was a real honour. I recall with great pleasure his calm in every situation, both inside and outside the car. Often his incredibile speed could have lead to a mistake, but he was always able to mantain the necessary concentration in the crucial moment and to read your mind. But he was afraid too--"

On his candidature as FIA president: "For me he is surely the right person for this job. He is a sportman and a former politician, he was also in the Parliament. He is an intelligent and bright man and I think his political background, added to the sport one, is very important, because today sport is politics, too, and the recent events in F1 showed this. I think he is a great man and I would be very happy should he win."

On Formula One future: "The fans all over the world are leaving Formula One, since a few years. The TV audience and the empty grandstands show it. The fans ask for stability and clarity in the regulations, they want more sport and less politics, which now unfortunately has become too relevant. We have to change and bring the sport forward again."

On Jean Todt: "Jean Todt, together with Vatanen, is a serious and important candidate as FIA president, even if I wouldn't exclude the possibility of a surprise, a third candidate. And then who knows--"

The complete interview (in Italian) is available at www.422race.com.

-credit: 422race